Married To A Stranger

Chapter 8

Shaina’s Point of View

The ride back to the Whitley estate was quiet, but my mind was anything but.

No matter how much I tried to shake off Lillian’s words, they clung to me like a shadow. Every glance, every whisper tonight had been a reminder that I was nothing more than an outsider. No matter what I did, they would never see me as one of them.

I sighed, staring out the window, the city lights passing in a blur.

"You’re overthinking again," Cloud’s voice broke the silence.

I glanced at him. He was sitting with his usual calm confidence, one arm resting casually on the car door, his sharp gaze fixed on me instead of his phone for once.

"You always say that," I muttered.

"Because it’s always true," he replied smoothly.

I hesitated before speaking. "Do you ever feel like you don’t belong?"

Cloud didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned his head slightly, as if considering my words.

Then he said, "No. I don’t give people the power to decide where I belong."

I frowned. "That’s not how it works for everyone."

He studied me for a moment, his gaze steady. "It can. If you stop waiting for them to accept you."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Easy for you to say. No one questions your place in this world."

Cloud leaned slightly toward me, his voice lower, gentler. "Do you think I was born with their respect?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

He gave me a knowing look. "I earned it, Shaina. And so can you."

I swallowed. "What if I don’t want to fight for it? What if I just want… to be enough as I am?"

His gaze softened. "Then be."

I stared at him. "Just like that?"

Cloud gave a small, amused smile. "Just like that."

I let out a breath, feeling something shift inside me.

Maybe it really was that simple. Maybe I had spent so much time trying to prove myself that I forgot—I didn’t need permission to exist.

Cloud sat back, his smirk returning. "Besides… I wouldn’t have married someone weak."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what kind of person would you have married?"

His lips curved slightly, his voice teasing. "Someone like you."

Heat rose to my cheeks before I could stop it.

I looked away quickly, pretending to focus on the city lights. "That almost sounded like a compliment," I muttered.

Cloud chuckled, low and deep. "Maybe it was."

I didn’t reply.

Because for the first time in a long time… I didn’t feel so alone.

And somehow, that was enough.